In the News

If it’s any indication as to how long Chris Paladino has been waiting for the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, you might say that he has been counting the days.

“It was 3,502 days ago since we first announced this project at the Heldrich Hotel,” said Paladino, the president of the New Brunswick Development Corp., or Devco. “Since then, we’ve experienced the country’s worst recession, the housing bust, the failures of Wall Street — and people stopped giving money to the arts.

“But we didn’t quit on this project,” he added, giving credit to New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill. “He wouldn’t let us give up. The mayor continued to remind us how important the arts are to not just our community, but to community as a whole, how the arts strengthen our values and how they build community character and a sense of place. And, maybe most importantly, how the arts enhance the economic viability of a city.”